Contents

About

Ali has been a New York City actress and singer for more than three quarters of her life. She is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, concentration in drama. Ali is paralyzed from the chest down due to a car accident, and has used a wheelchair since she was two-years-old. She strives to inspire other people with disabilities who want to pursue a career in performance to follow their dreams. She originally auditioned for The Glee Project at the New York City open casting call.

Trivia

She was originally called back in Season One, but turned it down to star in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at The Paper Mill Playhouse.

She is a Mezzo-Soprano, but because she is paralyzed from the chest down, she can't engage the diaphragm, stomach, or core, as someone in her vocal range would normally do. She has had to create her own singing techniques to accommodate her paralysis. Source

Her paralysis was caused by a car accident she had when she was two years old. Her older brother suffered from severe head trauma in the same accident.

Her spinal cord injury is at the C7-T2 level (low on her neck or cervical vertebrae to high on her chest or thoracic vertebrae). Source

It is believed that Ali is the first disabled actor/actress to be cast in a leading role in a musical. Source

She plays the role of Jeannie in the movie Cotton that is slated to be released in 2012. Source

Ali is a strong swimmer who enjoys learning to surf with Life Rolls On (the group that was featured in the Glee Episode "Big Brother").

She is known for being outgoing and positive.

During her time in The Glee Project, Ali developed a close friendship with contender Dani Shay and became a spokesperson in the Be More Heroic anti-bully campaign Dani and a few friends began in 2011. Source

Ali believes that the sexiest contender in TGP2 is Dani Shay, the sexiest people on Glee are Sam and Mercedes, and the sexiest contender in TGP season one was Samuel Larsen. Source

Dani Shay rooted for Ali to win after she (Dani) was eliminated early in the competition. Source

She has sung in several benefits for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, including the Born for Broadway annual event where Jenna Ushkowitz also sang in both 2010 and 2012.

She is the first and only (so far) contender of season two to win two homework assignments, and also the only to win two times in a row. And be first on callback for 4 weeks in a row. She is also the second contender to win two homework assignments and not be eliminated (Samuel won two in season one).

She performed at a benefit for St. Jude's Hospital on August 26 Source, did a concert at the Paralympics in London in late August Source, is going to do a school tour with Be More Heroic, the anti-bullying organization co-founded by Dani Shay that will "bring the message of love and compassion," and is writing a one-woman show for Broadway based on her life, according to an interview with Reality Wanted.

She will also be starring in a movie "about a girl who was hit by a bus and is now fighting to perform in a musical production in which the lead is originally able to walk, but the man in charge is reluctant to let her keep the spot."

The other contestants have said that she makes amazing salads.

She usually wears a brace on her chest, but couldn't in Fearlessness because the contenders were in bathing suits. Source

She is the daughter of a Benjamin Franklin Middle School teacher and Ridgewood Parks & Recreation employee. Source

Stroker has starred in several productions at New Players, Playwrights Horizon and American Theatre of Actors and played Sister Aloysius in a European production of "Doubt." Other roles have included a lead in a children’s production called "A Generation for Change" (to raise money for the nonprofit group Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy) when she was 11 years old, Dorothy in "The Wiz" at Sommerville Children's Theatre when she was in 4th grade, and Maria in "West Side Story" during her senior year of high school. SourceSource 2Source 3

She is a member of Team Hotwheelz, a Dance 4 Life-sponsored wheelchair dance team.

Progress

Episode

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Ali

IN

IN

LOW

IN

RISK

HIGH

WIN

WIN

HIGH

RISK

RUNNER UP

RUNNER UP The contender was the runner up on The Glee Project.IN The contender was not at risk of elimination. LOW The contender was at risk for being in the bottom three. RISK The contender did a last chance performance but was not at risk of being eliminated.HIGH The contender did an amazing performance this week and was the second on the callback list WIN The contender won the Homework Assignment and was first on the callback list.

Homework Progress

Contender

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Ali

NC

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FB

NC

HIGH

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WIN

WIN

HIGH

HIGH

WIN

NC The contender had no comments from the mentor. FB The mentor gave the contestant feedback since his/her performance could've been better. HIGH The contender impressed the mentor but was not chosen as the Homework Assignment Winner. WIN The contender won the homework assignment.